The Last Letter from Your Lover

Even for those who won’t fall for its syrupy romantic trappings, perhaps The Last Letter from Your Lover can serve a purpose by reminding us of the value of handwritten correspondence.

Essentially antiquated by our reliance on modern technology, the permanence and artistry of written letters has been greatly diminished, for better and worse. It’s not like we’ll be looking back decades from now and swooning over emoji-filled text messages.

At any rate, on a more human level, this bittersweet adaptation of the Jojo Moyes novel, about strong-willed women from different generations seeking fulfillment, finds a fractured narrative structure inhibiting the emotional impact.

The melodrama weaves together parallel stories of two young women who never meet, yet they are intrinsically linked. In the present day, Ellie (Felicity Jones) is an ambitious London journalist researching a story when she stumbles upon a series of love letters from 1965.

She becomes obsessed with uncovering the details of a 50-year-old affair involving Jennifer (Shailene Woodley), wrestling with expectations and desires as she falls for a writer (Callum Turner) while married to a wealthy industrialist (Joe Alwyn). Meanwhile, Ellie develops feelings for the archivist (Nabhaan Rizwan) helping her solve the puzzle.

As directed by Augustine Frizzell (Never Goin’ Back), the film showcases some gorgeous exotic locales, finding visual beauty in period tropes. In Jennifer’s case, it unapologetically promotes the quaint, old-fashioned nature of courtship without settling for a standard “chick flick” narrative trajectory.

Jones (The Theory of Everything) embraces the opportunity to play such a bubbly free spirit. Although the film takes an idealistic view of the realities of contemporary journalism, Ellie’s curiosity rings true. Still, her deeper motives remain critically elusive. Why does she care so much, and why should we?

Although the performances and craftsmanship are strong across the board, the translation of the material from page to screen toggles between past and present without much emotional cohesion.

Ultimately, as The Last Letter from Your Lover strains to find hope for both of its protagonists, your affinity for this sort of British romantic period piece might best determine whether your eyes are rolling or welling up along the way.

Rated PG-13, 110 minutes.